good afternoon, and welcome to the washington substitute. i'm rob, the executive director, and i'm delighted to see all of you here today. i think the interest in foreign policy in the wake of our presidential election is certainly evident by the remotely standing crowd we have here today. we are now already into the process of transition, transition even with the same president, transitions are the most fluid and receptive moments in the are presidential cycle to impact the policy process, and so i'm -- i take it as a good sign there's so much interest in the foreign policy process by your presence here today. now, i think that the transition from a first to a second obama administration may, of course, begin the day after an election, but it doesn't end on inauguration day. this process is going to continue for some time. as the president's new or old team takes shape and where as necessary, seeks con fir nation, goes through reassessment, definition of priorities and opportunities and as other issues, domestic issues, the fiscal cliff, fo